Adventure
by Blanshee
Summary: "There's an old saying: Be careful what you wish for. I've always thought that even more awesome than playing games would be to experience them. But I must add now: next time no quizzes, no tests, puzzles and mysterious verses, simply NO ADVENTURE! And definitely not the one with rating M for the likely occurrence of violence, vulgarity, nudity and sexual themes!" Michelangelo
1. Chapter 1 - Finders, keepers

Please excuse my poor basic English. I try to avoid as much spelling mistakes as possible and I am optimistic and hopeful of the improvement in time.

Any feedback is more than welcome!

* * *

"Look, guys, what I've found!"  
Michelangelo's voice carried through the New York's junk yard.

"Skate with three wheels?" said Donatello with apparent no interest, did not take his eyes off from the bunch of wires just taken out of a pile of garbage.

"The newest chapter of Justice Force?" asked Leonardo with amusement, standing on the highest point and watching the neighborhood as the king his kingdom.

"Half-eaten piece of pizza." grunted Raphael in disgust, leaning against the door of green van.

"Ha ha - three times wrong!" was the triumphant response and the youngest enthusiastically bounced to the center of the imaginary triangle made by his three older brothers.  
"Totally new and unopened . .!" and he waved with his treasure in the air. His smile widened even more when he saw the receiving attention. While his brothers were not such game maniacs like him, he had never had to force them to test the new one.

"What is it?" Raph suddenly appeared next to him. He was lover of video games number two, at least those ones with racing.

"Nothing for you, bro." Mikey pretended regrets and put the small box before his brother's nose. Raph snorted. Front side was not covered by any racing formula, or shiny bikes. There was dark silhouette of some old castle, red dots were shining from its windows - apparently the eyes of hordes of monsters lurking inside. It looked like one of _those_ games ...

"The adventure for one or more players" was written under the wannabe scary picture.

"I don't want to spoil your enthusiasm," said Donnie unconvincingly, "but if someone threw it away with a plastic bag still on, it can't be that good."

"Nonsense," refused Michelangelo quickly, "not everyone can just appreciate the quality of a good horror. Unlike me."

"I don't know, Mikey," the leader in blue bandana came to the gathering as last one and his voice sounded overly strict, "considering the rating you should first ask Master Splinter for permission." He proved his skill of observation by discovering a very small letter M written on the back site of the box.

"But Leeeooo," whined the youngest, "nothing could be scarier than Mutated cosmic slugs and I saw that three-times!"

"And you couldn't sleep for three weeks," Raph pointed out.

"I think it's not that bad," stopped Donatello the incoming quarrel from the beginning. He had taken the object in question in an unguarded moment, and now was thoughtfully tapping on the notice in the red frame with a big exclamation: "Rating M possibility. May contain violence, blood, nudity, sexual content and/or strong language!"

Raph chuckled: "For me after all," but before he could reach for the game, Mikey quickly stole it from Donnie.

"It's just a trick to entice the children."

"It evidently didn't work," mused Donatello.

"On the contrary, it did," Raphael pointed out the eager face under the orange bandana.

"But what does it mean - 'possibility'?" asked Leonardo, but nobody listened.


	2. Chapter 2 - Prologue

"Well?"  
"Gee, dude!" yelped Mikey and immediately lowered his voice: "Are you crazy?"

Leonardo laughed quietly. His little brother's horrified gaze was scanning the dark room which was illuminated only by the giant screen.

"Splinter is already sleeping."  
"I KNOW," replied the youngest emphatically, as his frightened expression slowly changed into the guilty one, and he pressed the pause button on the joystick.

"Well?" repeated Leo with significant look as he sat down next to the player on the couch.  
"Nothing much," ninja with yellow bandana quickly recovered and clicked on the play, "been wandering this jungle for ages, and except for a few poems I've not come across anything interesting."

"An essential element of adventure is to get player's interest through the solving twists and puzzle and direct it to the core of the story," said Donatello conversationally as he emerged from the kitchen.  
"Using long words on Mikey is a waste of time," the last one of the four brothers muttered from his bedroom's door.

"Can't have a turtle little privacy while playing?" whined the one caught in the act.  
"Not if he has another brother who would like to join," Raphael jumped on the sofa from the other side of his youngest brother and picked up a second driver.

"Or those who must watch over them," commander of the turtle pack pointed out and took over third driver from Donnie's hand.

* * *

"This really sucks!" Raphael muttered quietly twenty minutes later.

"I TOLD you so!" said Michelangelo with emphasis.

"If you could just stop kicking _everything we come across_ to pieces, we would move somewhere," reprimanded their intelligent brother.

"Gee, Donnie, do you want to deny us the only entertainment that's here?" And the impatient ninja with orange bandana let his avatar turn the nearest pile of stone into dust.

"Wait!" unusually silent Leonardo stopped him from next destruction, "can you see that?" and he move with his character close to the stone debris. Others noticed it now too - the pieces were pulsing with blue light.

"It seems you destroyed our key," Donnie said with calm, "shall we reload, or just stop?"

"Wait," Leo repeated again and clicked directly on the source of light.

A dark blue letters appeared on the screen: "_firm hand and sharp eye can beat the gatekeeper."_

"More riddles!" grimaced Mikey, "I can't understand what for. They just keep from the playing."

"Split and search for the other keys," Leonardo ignored his whining and went east, Donatello west.

The others obeyed and went south and north for apparently no other distraction. After another TOTALY BOOORING twenty minutes they discovered more light keys and still nothing happened.

"Maybe bug?" Mikey smirked.

"Yeah!" Raph suddenly shouted, "and a nasty one!"

The screen shook and a black beetle with huge claws and pincers appeared between the trees.

"Finally!" rejoiced Mikey and run forward the beast. Second later, he watch helplessly as his character flew several feet back.

"Damn! We have no weapons!" the usually sai-wielder headed for attack on its own and immediately joined his younger brother on the ground.

"We can't defeat him like this," Leonardo quickly switched into the leader mode, "we must attack it all at once. I count on three ... "  
Four characters jumped in sync on the digital monster. It shivered, but then sent them all off, each one to the different directions, and immediately headed for the most damaged one, which was coincidentally Michelangelo.

"Quickly get up and run in the wood," ordered Leo.  
"Why me?" whined Mikey as he tried to dribble with his figure between the trees.

"What's plan B?" poked Raphael and automatically run to hunted one.

Leo stayed in place, watching the enemy.  
"Mikey, make it to turn his face on us," he said after a moment.  
"Whaat? And how do I suppose to do that?" the spoken panted, as if really running for his life.

"Gide it to us! And the rest of you, get ready ... can you see? There!"  
"The crack in the armor," Donatello noted as a second one.  
"All at once and exactly to that place!"

"A sharp eye .. ," Raphael started, "and firm hand" Mikey added and they all jumped.

It took the eight attempts. The rumbling sound of falling beetle sounded extremely satisfactory. The scrape of the disappearing trees uncovering a large dark gate even better.

"Looks like we can move to the next level," stated Donatello obvious as headed for the entrance. It, however, did not open. Only colored text appeared again.

"Just not another riddle!" Michelangelo shook his head.

"_Only the one capable of humility, sacrifice and strength can hold the Spear of Skills. Only the one pure of heart, strong of mind and full of courage can enter_," Donatello recited.

"Nice, and how does it help us to get in? "

Like an answer, another message lighted up: _"Think well, pilgrim, if you want to pass. The way in may not lead out."  
_"Ah, that sounds promising," Mikey brightened up and also ran to the gate. It shook slightly .

"Turn the volume down," Leo hissed, "else we awake Sensei," and he too proceeded to the giant door.  
The thunder shook all four drivers.

When Raph joined, the entire lair was vibrating by rumble.

The door slowly began to open. Behind them, there was white light, shinning more and more intensely. All of the ninjas had to cover their eyes adjusted to the dim twilight.

When their sight returned, they were not sitting on the sofa anymore, but staying on the stone old courtyard.

The silence was suddenly broken by desperate cry: "We are inside the adventure? Noooooo!"


	3. Chapter 3 - 1st level - Fear

The stony courtyard of the old castle was dark and grim like it supposed to be. Normally there would be a panic. But being the teenage mutant ninja turtle, you are used to such think. The main question stayed - how to get out. The gate disappeared and another entrance was locked. You are used to such think.

"What now?" Mikey recovered a little.

"_If_ we are inside the game," Donatello was looking around with curiosity, "we must follow its rules."

"If?!" grumbled Raphael. The idea of real bug was not appealing.

"Do you think it's portal to another dimension?" spoken Leonardo the Donnie's thought aloud while examining the only door.

"Guys?" They were interrupted by Michelangelo's trembling voice from the other side of the yard. "Can you come here for a sec?!"

Behind some stony obelisks was...

"An old cemetery." announced Raph the obvious. "So?"

"Did you read the headstones?" pointed out the youngest with his shaky finger.

"I fear my Old English is not as good as I thought," he replied with sarcasm.

"Latin!" corrected his intelligent brother.

"I mean these ones!" interrupted Mikey quickly as he was bouncing nervously. The tombs stood scattered, but the last line was scary symmetrical. Four identical graves, four completely new headstones, each one with an inscription like it have been just carved in and with fresh hole in the ground.

"_Horror has many faces. And my fear is my doom_."

"Look," laughed Raph, "this one is for you."

Mikey turned his frightened eyes on him: "Dude, can't you understand? These are ALL for us!"

"It is possible," mused Donnie without excitement and tapped on the next stone with sign: "_Anger can destroy my enemies but in the end it destroys myself._"

Raphael grimaced under Donatello's look and shook his head.

"_Too much of a good thing. Even a compassion_." read Leonardo and Raphael laughed. "Yours or Don's?" and moved to the end of the line: "_I can make your deepest desires __true __. And what then_?" "Looks like I have two of them."

"This is not funny!" screamed Mikey with anger.

"You're right. It's nonsense. We'd better go smash the door," and Raphael moved opposite direction. He suddenly stopped and listened. His brothers too.

'knock knock' was heard silently but clearly.

"Like bone at wood," whispered Mikey.

"Like you could know..."

'knock knock!' more loudly this time. They could find out the source already. Four pairs of eyes were watching cemetery with attention. One grave ledger began moving and from below a human claw appeared. Mikey started screaming, Raph laughing. They both stopped when all places of the eternal rest were doing the same. All brothers looked for their weapons - except Mikey hidden behind Leo's shell.

"Can't a turtle even _play_ unarmed!" hotheaded ninja yelled in frustration as he did not find his sais.

They quickly started searching the substitute.

* * *

"This is REEEALLY disgusting!" grimaced Mikey as he looked at white pile of bones which was recently made by his oldest brother's effective kick. There was no time for complaints though. So trying not to vomit he took two upper limbs and attempted to spinning them in the air.

"It would be much better if they didn't fight back," he complained.

"Be glad the cartilage is still holding them together," Donnie tried to comfort him as he took swing with thigh bone.

* * *

"They are not decreasing!" yelled Mikey with bone nunchucks in hands.

"Nor increasing either," answered Raph using the claw with three fingers left to fighting the rattling enemies.

"It's not encouraging!" Leonardo cut the nearest skeleton's rib cage with calf bone and looked around. Both of his brothers were right. The pile of fallen enemies disappeared and mob of the refreshed ones were constantly climbing from their tombs.

But there was no time to figure it out. Mikey could not been seen anymore past the horde of skeletons. Though he _had_ been heard. While defending himself he jumped back and suddenly lost firm ground underfoot. His loud squeak was immediately cut off and Michelangelo disappeared in his grave. Literally.

"Mikey!" cried Raphael with fury and started breaking the bones with new energy.

"What happened?" breathed Leo heavily as he was pushing his enemies back with blunt blade.

"Mikey vanished," answered Donatello lost in thought.

"Donnie!" Leo shouted at him with concern as he stopped an attack on his brother's head.

"This is it!" the thinking ninja turned back to the fight. Only red bandana was seen in the middle of the battle near "theirs" graves.

"Raph! Jump inside!"

"Are you mad?" expected answer was spat out, "I will NOT make it easier for them!"

"Trust me! Remember, it's only a game!"

Raph cursed as he wiped the blood off his leg.

"As you wish," called Donatello merrily and before the others could do something constructive, he leaped over white skulls.

"Donnie!" two frustrated shouts were heard when purple bandana disappeared under the ground. Rattle of bones was growing stronger.

"Let's go," ordered Leonardo while noticing their hopeless situation. Raph growled but obediently jumped.

Nothing happened. Blue bandana bent over him.

"Get out, this one's mine."

They changed their places. Then darkness fell over them.


	4. Chapter 4 - Questions and Answers

"We're all here," smiled Donatello with satisfaction. Both of his older brothers decided not to make any comment. They rather looked around. The cellar was small, squared, with stone walls and vaulted ceiling. All place was gloomy, silent and damp. Compared to their lair, no big change. Except for the tombs which were probably the explanation of Michelagelo's unusual silence.

Raphael shook the soil off his hands and cast the crumbling remnants of claws aside. The spell keeping skeletons alive was obviously not working here. That was also positive and negative - they were unarmed again. He sighed and followed his leader for the only exit from the crypt. The opening led to the spiral stairs and these to the not so large hall.

It was slightly lit by two small windows high above them. There was nothing else except for several doors. All closed and firmly locked, as they soon found out. At least most of them. The one just in the corner could not resist the hundred pound of a turtle.

"Library?!" Raph yelled with anger when he burst inside. Almost every piece of walls from bottom to the top was covered by wooden bookcases. All the bookcases were filled with - well - books and books again. There were piles of another books lying on the floor and many other on a large oak table in the center of the room. The air was filled with smell of old paper and leather panels and a billions microparticles of dust.

"Library." agreed Donnie with a spark in his eyes.

* * *

"This is interesting!" Donatello finally exclaimed .  
"Hmpf?" muffled answer was heard somewhere from the ceiling. Raph and Mikey spent the time tying the ladders together and now first was trying to breaking the mosaic glass window and the other was giving him - mostly vocal - support.

"That too," Leo said thoughtfully, watching his balancing brothers.

"This _could_ really do us some help," Donnie pointed at the dusty page of book he was holding.

"That probably too," Leonardo did not avert his stare. Donatello looked up. Raphael was balancing on the top rung of the ladder, Michelangelo supporting from the middle. His sight went lower. The wall was covered by fading drawings. The same ones as he found inside the book.

"You know what does it mean." Leonardo was not asking. Don nodded and pointed at illustrated figures.

"These three on the left are obviously most important, they are always the biggest. First one - let´s call him warrior - you can see the armor and spear, the other - something like a guardian for his shield and shackles in his hand and..."

"And the third one?"

There was some kind of jagged creation watching them with red eyes.

Donnie shrugged: "a monster?"

Leo silently watched the painted scenes and completely ignored sounds of the frustration from the top.

"So this is lair of some kind of evil?"

"Not exactly," his clever brother shook his head. "Do you see these parallel and vertical lines - Mikey step aside - around it? I think, this is his _prison_."

Suddenly a startled cry rung out, followed by mad roar. Then two 'bang' shaken the ground. Finally a huge cloud of dust covered the pitiful sight.

* * *

"So we have to defeat some kind of monster which is imprisoned in this damn castle," summarized annoyed Raphael, rubbing his elbow hurt from Mikey´s shell.

"Maybe," replied Donnie doubtfully.

Everyone leaned over the open book.

"How did you actually find it?" marveled Mikey with a black left eye.

"Simple," was careless answer, "it was the first book which did not fall apart, was legible and made sense." Seeing the puzzled expressions, he added: "The basic principle of game, although it sometimes does not seem, is that it _wants_ to be completed."

"I should know that before I threw Ghosts'n Goblins away," Mike said under his breath.

"Killing the beast is probably game's main quest," Donatello returned to _their_ main quest, "but the path is not quite clear. It looks like it can be achieved only by using a spear - of skills? And to get it we need to..."

"...to solve more puzzles!" groaned Michelangelo.

"Probably more of a tests..." Don replied dryly, turning other sheets.

Kneeling figure. Figure with a shield. Figure with a sword.

"... tests of humility, defence, strength? I guess."

"But how do we get to the next level?" asked Leo main question.

Metallic sound of unlocking door was his response.


	5. Chapter 5 - 2nd level - Humility

"Finally!"  
Mikey's voice resonated with satisfaction. Others green heads peered inside .  
"We've _finally_ found the dining room!" and the youngest turtle rushed to the table heavy with food.

"Careful!" Leo stopped him, suspiciously eyed the temptingly arranged goodness. There was roasted venison impaled on a spit, pile of fruit of all shapes, colors and scents, and dishes with baked goods and cookies.

"Hmmm," looked Donnie around with interest, "selection of fruit indicate the South America, but the animals seem to come from somewhere in Eastern Europe ... I've never eaten fresh passion fruit before," he said dreamily after the tour.

"Try it in combination with venison" mumbled Raph indistinctly .

"Raph!" youngest and oldest voice shouted in a synchronization. Although each with different motivation:

"This is _not_ all yours!"

"What if it's poisoned!" "And that goes for you too, Donnie!" Leonardo continued to chastise them.

"I don't think the place is trying to get rid of us," said the pundit and experimentally bit into slightly sour orange fruit, "but the feast is here surely for some reason."

"Agreed ," replied Raph and Mikey unison with their full mouths.

Leonardo left them be with a sigh and went to investigate. That was quick. Except for full table and some chairs, there was a minimum of furniture. Only massive cupboard with kitchenware and a sideboard. The walls were decorated by many variations of Still Life with Food. One side was adorning by six statues of indistinct features, opposite one by a blazing fire in the fireplace and another door. Of course closed. And locked.

Michelangelo leaned back in his chair suppressing belch and stretched blissfully.

"Service!" he clapped his hands, "clean up the plates!"

And nearly fell off the chair when one of the statue made a move.

Everyone jumped up and intently watched the white figure approaching now retreating guest. It gathered the empty dishes, took them to the cabinets and stood back on the pedestal next to other artistic works with more appropriately behavior.

"What. Is. That?" asked Mikey the expected query.

"More like _who_ is that," corrected Donnie and intently studied the intruder. _She_ was slightly lower than them and has not looked made of plaster anymore. White toga, enveloping her entire body, was floating to the ground, pale makeup covered her face and hair were decorated with so many flowers and ornaments that was almost impossible to tell their color, maybe a light brown.

She was taking their inspection calmly and without moving, only her green-brown eyes were flickering curiously from one to the other.

"Who are you?" asked Leo finally.

The girl turned to him and smiled.

The commander cleared his throat: "My name is Leonardo and they are my brothers - Donatello, Raphael, Michelangelo," explained politely and pointed at her: "Your name is...?"

The response was girl's raising eyebrows and Raph's chuckle.

"She does not understand" "Maybe she is mute?" "Or deaf." "Or both."

"You are talking nonsense." Donnie stepped into the debate, "she probably just reacts to certain subject. Maybe sounds?"

A very funny performance of tapping, clapping and snapping fingers had just started, then Donatello showed his multilingual skills.

"I guess she isn't too smart," Mikey tried to apologize Don's failure.

"Or you're doing it all wrong!" Raphael shoved him in mock rudeness and stood in front of the girl: "Now tell us how to get out of here, or you get a hiding!"

The pale girl blinked and shook her head.

There was a clear sound of a slap. The girl jerked and red scar started appearing on her right cheek.

Raph jumped back, startled.

"Are you mad!" Snapped Donatello horrified. "It wasn't me!" hotheaded ninja defended himself.

"That's enough," stopped them Leo and turned to now not-so white girl: "Could you open that door for us, please?"  
Donatello sighed deeply and pushed him aside: "Open that door!" showed and blinked in dismay when other slapping came.

* * *

"So, is that clear?"  
"No."

They were gathered in the opposite side of the room and vividly discussing.

"She responds _only_ to a direct order," the smartest one, now greatly disappointed, explaining again. "If she can't comply, physical punishment is taking the place - thanks Raph." He felt his face burning.

"But how do we know what she can or can't do?" The youngest had never bothered to understand things as long as someone had done it for him.

"_That_ we will have to carefully estimate. Example, I am convinced that she can't speak. Which means," he added, seeing the puzzled expression, "she couldn't say, tell nor suggest _any thing_."

Raphael clenched his fists, then turned on his heel and left the room. Others decided to let him calm down and they were greatly surprised when he was back in minute, holding a familiar dusty book.

"Good idea." Leonardo praised him. Raph did not say anything, but the pained expression on his face eased a little .

"You see, I was right," Donnie tapped his finger on the page, "this is a test of humility."

"Where is humility in beating servant?"

"Not _our_ humility, Mikey. Can you see this? A figure in toga? It obviously represents her. It's painted without lips. Without the ability of even verbal resistance she must obey orders, or ... " " ...a punishment followed, we've heard that one..."

"Yes, but it is strange that it 's there too," he pointed at a small drawing of the whip hanging over the figure without mouth.

"I wonder whether it was there earlier."

Three pairs of eyes watched him questioningly.

Donatello flipped through more pages - there were completely empty.

"I mean, the book is written progressively."

"That's bad, I just wanted to read the punchline."

Donnie chuckled dryly: "I've already tried."

"Could she be the guardian?" asked Leonardo, leaning over his brother's shoulder. The book was written in a unknown language, and some pictures were quite disturbing.

"Or the fighter," chuckled Raph with better mood. Her injuries - even the light ones - were maybe not caused only by him, and that was good news.

"Or the mooonster" intoned Mikey with ghostly voice.

Everyone laughed and growing tensions started to eased immediately .

"And what's this stick over her head?" pointed Michelangelo his finger at the image near the bottom of the page.

"This is a finger, Mikey and it looks like it's our next task."

"To name her," smacked his youngest brother presenting E.T. - go - home.

It was necessary to consider it properly. What name will you choose for an unknown person in an unknown world, of a different race? Their thoughts automatically turned back to Master Splinter.

The problem was, that there had not been a lot of female artists in age of Renaissance, if at all.

"What about some piece of art?" suggested Leonardo.

"You mean Mona Lisa? Or Venus?" Mike asked with wink.

Leo looked at the girl thoughtfully: "How about Simonetta?"

"Simonetta Vespucci? Painted by Piero di Cosimo? You know that generally, there is presumption that it was not her, for she died at a time when Cosimo was 14 years old, so ..."

"I think by Sandro Botticelli" interrupted him Leo quickly.

Four pairs of eyes stared at the girl.

"Simonetta - quite nice," agreed Raph with neutral expression .

"Who's Botticelli?" whispered Mikey in Raph's ear, when Leonardo moved to the girl and with ceremonial tone said: "Your name from now is Simonetta."

The girl smiled and her makeup disappeared from face with light rustle. Her skin got the bronze tone and green color of her eyes were highlighted. There was no wrinkle over her face and no scar either. She looked like teen but something in her eyes seemed ageless.

After some quiet time turtles took their eyes off her and went back to the manual.


	6. Chapter 6 - Reword

"Does it mean it's time for another snack?" suggested Michelangelo with hope.

The others turned back to the book: a figure, plates and cups. They nodded in approval.

* * *

Five persons were occupied with eating, but only four munching were heard. The girl - now Simonetta - had the largest portion - as a compensation for previous wrongs - and she seemed completely voiceless. She looked content though, eating greedily and did not care about her long hair falling into the plate. When the turtles had invited her to the table, all the decoration from her hair had disappeared with soft clinking. Donatello had taken it as a sign of another accomplished quest.

"She'll throw up," warmed Raph his youngest brother who had just served the girl another portion of meat.

She nodded her thanks and took nearest carafe filled with red wine and looked at the others with expectation.  
"We don't drink," refused Leonardo apologetically.  
"That would be rude," objected Raph half seriously as he passed the girl five glasses.

"It seems to be properly archived," sipped Donatello cautiously and blinked in surprise when Simonetta finished her second goblet. While others were going on with the feast, Don returned to the manuscript. Another page had just been written. Donnie drummed his fingers on the table. Then he read the page again. And then he reached for the half-empty jug and drank it up in two gulps.

"Something's wrong?" Leonardo was the only one who noticed the unusual behavior of his brother. The two others were too busy with playing popular teenager's game - 'make a fool of yourself'.

"I may be wrong," said Donnie unconvincingly, "but it almost looks like .. uh .. an engagement ceremony."  
Leo stopped smiling and went to his now very unhappy brother.

"Does _this_ really look like an engagement ceremony to you?" he asked after a while.  
"Formerly, there use to be tradition," the genius began to explain, "and someone still _keeps_ that tradition, that before the wedding it's necessary to prove... hm .. the bride's capability to be, you know, impregnated."  
"Impregnated," repeated Leonardo apathetically.

Raphael stopped cuffing Mikey, who had been hitting him with the pomegranate's seeds.  
"Did we miss something?"

* * *

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm _not_ prepare to become a father," interrupted Mikey their quiet study of the drawings, "and definitely not to do all _that stuff_.."  
"I _believe_," said Donnie gruffly, "that it should be taken more likely as a guidance."  
"And _I believe_, we'll find another solution," frowned Leonardo, though he looked pretty unsure.

Four hesitant turtles looked at Simonetta, still sitting on the opposite side of the table and eating. She returned their gaze without any emotion. Then she drank her wine and slowly swallowed last portion. Her lips were crimson from the drink, as all of them suddenly noticed.  
Then she stood up.  
Her toga disappeared.  
And then the girl too.  
Just like that. Even without the usual tinkling.  
Before Mikey could ask, they heard the sound of unlocking.

* * *

The small door next to the fireplace had transformed into the hell gate.

Michelangelo was sitting on the chair, his head in his hands, blue eyes wide open. Raphael was pacing back and forth like a tiger in too small cage. Leonardo was leaning against the wall, secretly but still visibly doing the breathing exercises.  
Donatello was browsing through the book with absent minded look. Raph slammed it shut and almost trapped his brother's nose inside.

"I think," Leo said quietly, "that rating warning shouldn't be taken lightly."  
Mikey bowed his head.  
Raph banged the table with his fist. Then he drank the last jug in one quick gulp and disappeared behind the recently opened door.

A stunned silence was broken by the sound of the locking.

Leonardo ran to the entrance.

"Do you really want to go there now?" asked Don quietly.

"What if it's a trap?" the leader hissed through his teeth.

"Then he will have to deal with it. By himself."

* * *

"What's he doing in there so long?" Mikey had been pacing instead of his absent brother. "He's there for ages!"

No one answered. It wasn't more than ten minutes. And they all knew it.

"It's just like him. Always thinks only about himself."

Five steps to the left. Turnabout.

"If I been there," ten steps to the right, "I'd tell her to get over it as quickly as possible .. " spin, five steps back.

"I mean, she still listen to the orders, right? So I'd..." "Mikey?" "Yes, Leo? " "Shut up."

There was a deathly silence. Even from behind the door.  
"What if it's all over?" dared Mikey to ask, when next five minutes had passed by. Ignoring Leo's warning look, Michelangelo put his ear to the door and carefully took the door handle. Then he dashed inside and his scream was cut off by the click of the lock.

"I have an idea," announced Donnie as he walked to the table while Leonardo tried to burn the door with his eyes.  
When he returned, he was holding two empty glasses and handed one to his confused brother.

"That's ... hmm .. " he waved his hands for explanation.  
"Oh?" Leonardo was not quite sure.

"I _think_," described Donnie his presumption, "that the - hmm - the act itself is not that important as the _goal_," and he wiggled his eyebrows. With his serious expression it seemed irresistibly comical.

"Oh!" Leo frowned at the glass in his hand. "And how do we know it works?"  
"I'll try it first," the pundit offered. "If I be there _very_ shortly, the experiment is successful. But I'd rather go there alone," he quickly added.

The 'click clack' of the lock rumbled through their heads.

"OK," Leonardo approved of his plan after a while.


	7. Chapter 7 - Desire

Leonardo started losing his ground. This was not a battle he had been prepared for.

As for the relationship with the girls, they weren't completely innocent. Their unique existence sometimes simply forced them to be in close proximity with woman.

And all of their interactions with opposite sex had always been strange, dangerous and exotic.

Not only their saving April from the Mouser robots or getting Angel from the hands of Purple Dragons.

There was Sydney-Quarry - the mutant from the underground city, or Renet - the crazy time traveler. Or the females warriors of all races, colors and shapes from Battle Nexus.

But their usual meetings were bound by simply rule - to save and go. It had never allowed any inappropriate thoughts.

Well, almost never.

There was one girl. She was brave, deadly with her weapons and sheared the same sense of honor with him. And she was the new leader of the clan of their enemies. Their sporadic meetings were filled with the right amount of the excitement he needed. Right.

But _this_. This was completely different. It was impersonal and forced. And it filled him with some dark questions. Was it real? Was _she_ real? Can it be taken as a rape. And who by whom?

He watched the glass in his hand with disgust. What if it doesn't work? What if it does? And how long, the hell, is Donne there? Two minutes? One hour? One year?

The lock clicked.

Leo cursed.

* * *

The room was painted in red and contained no furniture. Except for one.

Leonardo ignored the person lying on the huge bed as he was looking around. The paintings on the walls were much more expressive then those in the book. He quickly looked away and headed for the exit.

Then he hesitated. A key was in the lock.

Leo's grip on the glass tightened and he turned around.

* * *

"What is taken _him_ so long?"

Donatello grated his teeth.

He had just been through a quite unsatisfactory and embarrassing experience and still had not been able to analyze it. And now he was not sure what was more annoying. Mikey´s whining or Raph´s self-satisfied smile?

But Michelangelo was right. Leo had been there for too long. And without the reason. Because his experiment worked out just perfectly. Maybe too perfectly. And quite quickly. With heavy sign, he looked back at the door, which had led him back to the hall with locked entrances.

_What_ is taken him so long?

Donatello grated his teeth.

* * *

Leonardo closed his eyes and breathed out. For how many times? He did not know.

Then he loosened his grip and laid his head down, at girl's warm scruff. Her breathing rhythm was same as his, now slowly calming down.

He gently touched her hairs. There were almost mahogany in the red light and cascaded to her whist.

"Turn around."

He couldn't tear his eyes from her. Her skin - in this room dark bronze - was painted by floral tattoo. He followed the thin brown lines - form the small roots on her toes, past the stem twined around her ankles, calves and tights, to two blossoms on the top.

Leo cupped her chin and turned her face away.

"Lift." He moved with her.

He wanted everything.

He must leave.

He needed...

He should...

But before...

He gently touched her lips. "Open.." he whispered.

* * *

The sound of Raph's restless steps echoed through the hall.

"He _will_ come out, eventually," Michelangelo failed to comfort his more and more impatient brother.

Donnie watched them with doubts. He remembered one specific tomb inscription.

"Think of something already!" Raph turned to his clever brother with agitation. Donatello frowned.

They had tried rattling, knocking, yelling. Nothing worked. And the manual was left behind the door now locked again.

"We can try to persuade him!" suggested Mikey suddenly and received two disdainful looks.

"I mean by this," he tapped his head, "you and Leo are the best at a mental communication after all."

Donnie nodded in surprised approval. Why didn't _he_ figure that out?

He sat down to the lotus position.

"I can't reach him," he admitted after a while. "I can feel him, but can't get through his barrier."

"What if something is happening to him?" Michelangelo shivered with worry.

"Yeah, it does," Raph snorted, "and I know _exactly_ what," and he joined his brother sitting on the floor.

"You have to help me, Don. Both of you."

Then the hall was silent again, only sound of the deeply breathing was heard.

* * *

Heart hammering inside his chest. Blood running through his veins. Deep breath deafening his ears... Almost... Almost there... Everything for one single moment...

Leo took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He was prolonging what he desperated for.

"Leo."

No. Not now. He clenched his teeth and focused. Only him and her. And the burning feeling inside.

"Bro. Listen to me."

Leonardo was sick of listening. He had been listening all his life. He shook his head and quicken his rhythm.

"I know what you are missing. I'm too. We all are."

Leo stopped breathing.

"I haven't lost hope, not yet. It will come one day. _She_ will come. But not her."

He closed his eyes and tried to escape the thoughts which were his and were not at the same time.

"Not like this," the unwanted voice faded away. "Look at her. Closely.."

Leonardo was slowing down until he stopped and opened his eyes.

He could see it now. Under the painting on her body were thousands of thin white scars.

How long had she been here? How many people had been there before him?

His eyes slowly traveled up. Up to her face he had avoided all the time.

Chapped lips. Wheezy breath.

And her eyes. Deep and dark brown in this room. But cold as ice.

* * *

The door hesitantly opened.

The turtle in blue bandana leaned on the cool wall. Nobody said a word.

Finally Leo looked up to face their judging eyes. But he found nothing like that. Only understanding.

"Let's go on," said Raphael with unusual softness.

"Go on?"

"To the next level," showed Mikey to the end of the hall.

A new door had been opened.

* * *

So this is probably the last chapter in this year, I hope you enjoyed it so far.

Very happy Christmas everyone and thank you for reading and following :)


	8. Chapter 8 - 3rd level - Fight

"That's better!"

Raphael's baritone vibrated through a newly opened room. The room filled with the weapons, shield, weapons, helmets, weapons, armor, weapons and more weapons.

Donatello looked around with doubts. The collection was varied, indeed. The walls and stands were covered mostly by medieval equipment but he could also see some rapiers probably from the seventeenth century and even one automatic pistol. But one weapon, the simplest but lethal in his hands, was not there. Donnie sighed with nostalgia remembering his bo-staff, now idly resting in the dojo.

"Wow! How did you do it?" interrupted Mikey his reverie, trying not to cut off his own head with a spinning flail.

Donatello blinked. In front of him, above his head, a weapon had just materialized. The weapon he was dreaming about. He removed the staff from the wall with content smile and tapped his head: "With this."

Raph chuckled and closed his eyes. The recently empty space on the wall was now filled with two sais.

Leonardo was trying the balance and the sharpness of a blade discovered among the collection of some scimitars.

"I think this one will do," he decided happily.

"Guys, you're doing it all wrong!" announced Michelangelo and pushed his brother with red bandana from the wall. "Now watch!"

Suddenly, thousands of stars sparked behind his eyes.

"Hey!" he rubbed the back of his head painfully.

"Don't. Think. About it!" Raphael warned him with the outstretched hand.

Mikey dramatically sighed but in a moment he was taking an ordinary pair of nunchucks off the wall with hurt expression.

"I expect you know what does it mean?" asked Donatello.

"Suuure." Raph laughed with his weapons at ready as he kicked the door on the other side of the armory.

Everybody jumped inside with a battle cry.

And they stopped with the same suddenness.

"Now, this is a surprise." growled the sai wielder.

Sabre and staff disappeared embarrassedly behind the belts.

"Hi, Simmi." Mikey greeted quietly.

She looked different. And it was not only because she was dressed. Dressed in a brown leather armor, that is. And neither because of a long ponytail or a white spear in her hands. But in her fighting stance and in her proud expression partly hidden behind a black bandana covering fully her eyes, there was nothing of the humble servant anymore.

Hearing them, her hold on the spear tightened and she turned around slightly, shoving her profile.

"That'll be quick!" Raphael laughed grimly: "Let us go immediately!"

Simonetta pointed the spike of her weapon at the mutant's heart.

"That sounded like a no," Mikey teased.

Raph frowned and attacked.

"Any other brilliant idea?" asked Leo his hotheaded brother while helping him to stand up from the ground. He did not respond, just kept piercing the girl with his look at least. Simonetta, breathing deeply, wiped the blood from her face. But apparently, she was good with a spear.

Raphael started to getting tired of this game.

"We'll attack her all at once!" but he received three incredulous looks.

"You can't manage a single girl?" Michelangelo chuckled. Raph's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"And how do we suppose to get out from here soon?"

"You have to defeat me quickly."

Four turtles froze and turned around. The girl was staying in the same place with the same stance, but the voice, deep, yet feminine, surely belonged to her.

"So, it _talks_."

"Obviously. But _she_ can't see."

"So ...?"

"She answers only..." "Do you like...?" "...to her opponent," Donnie interrupted Mikey calmly and gripped his staff with determination.

Leonardo was watching their fight thoughtfully. Donnie was master with a long distance weapon, but obviously she was too. Even blinded and depending on her hearing. A lot of years of experience probably? But there was something else.

Leo reluctantly moved his attention to the girl's weapon. The spear was white and smooth, without any ornament. But what first had looked like a trick of his eyes now seemed to be true - the two meters long stick was radiating with almost invisible white light and the small flashes blinked from time to time. And sometimes it almost seemed, that _the spear_ was guiding her moves.

"Don! Make it quick!" he ordered suddenly, "she is learning you!"

The ninja with the bo-staff looked puzzled but then he understood. Simonetta just counter-attack his move, which she had barely blocked few minutes ago. The longer their fight took, the more difficult was becoming.

Donatello rapped the girl's knuckles with his staff to distract her and quickly aimed the other end of his weapon at her head. Then he hesitated. As a thanks, he gained a stab wound on his right hand.

"Donnie!" his brothers cried in dismay and Raph quickly pulled him out of the spear range.

"You little...!"

"Wait!" Leo quickly stopped his furious brother and pulled out his new scimitar.

Simonetta cocked her ears. Before she could do anything, a blade was aiming at her throat. Leonardo proved to be deadly fast and silent when needed.

"Who must defeat you and how?"

She shoved the blade away with her fingers and her lips curled into a sneer. But no answer came from her. Leonardo pushed harder. A red stream begun to trickle down from her finger.  
"Everyone."

And Leo disappeared.

"Perfect!" growled Raph with vengefulness.

"We are _not_ going at her all at once!" Donatello pushed him aside with shock.

"I agree with Donnie!" Mikey said and spun his nunchucks.

Its swish and Mikey loud verbal display sufficiently lured the girl's attention. It did not take long and she was thrown against the wall and slowly slid down. Michelangelo was standing over her with a triumphant smile and spinning weapons.

"Do you like me?"

Her black bandana could not hide her shocked expression. She stood up with difficulty leaning on a spear.

"I don't know," she answer quietly to the disappearing figure.

Donatello took a fighting position with a sigh. How could he possibly attack a blinded opponent? How could he possibly hurt _her_? Raphael sighed deeply. After a while it was clear it would not lead anywhere. Donnie had already canceled the four of his almost successful attack in the last second. And he was running out of the moves and stamina as well.

Raph tightened his grip on his sais.

The purple bandana's ninja turned to giving more power to the swing and attacked again. Raphael watched how Don flexed exactly the wrong muscles, holding his attack back. He threw his sai. It pierced the upper end of the Donnie's weapon and finished his attack. Simonetta slid to the ground for the second time with a startled cry.

Donatello quickly ran to help her but was stopped by a green hand on his shoulder.

"Will you let us both go?" Raph growled.

"Suuuure." she said not even trying to get up from the floor.

Before Donnie could pose his question, the girl and the battle arena were gone.

They were in the hall with the doors again.


End file.
